1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved combined portable electric pump and illuminating/alarm device for automobiles.
2. Description of Related Art
Automobiles provide convenient tools for modern people in transportation and traffic. Nevertheless, one of the most significant problems for automobiles is having a flat tire, especially on a highway, in wilderness or desolate areas. A portable electric pump and illuminating/alarm device is particularly useful in this case, especially in the night or in other conditions of poor visibility. A typical portable electric pump and illuminating/alarm device, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, includes a main body 20, an illuminating lamp 22, an alarm lamp housing 21 removably mounted to the illuminating lamp 22, a tire pressure gauge 23, a switch 24 for the illuminating lamp 22 as well as the alarm lamp housing 21, a handle 25, and an inflation means 26 for inflating a flat tire. The illuminating lamp 22 provides illumination in the night or in other conditions of poor visibility, such as illuminating the inflation valve of the tire in such situations. The alarm lamp housing 21, usually red, is removably mounted to the main body 20 and thus encloses the illuminating lamp 22 to provide an alarm function.
However, the above-mentioned device still has several drawbacks. First of all, when using the device in the night or in other conditions of poor visibility, the user can only at any one time only use one of the illumination and alarm functions, i.e., when the device is used to illuminate the tire (e.g., for pumping), it fails to provide the function of the alarm lamp which may endanger the life of the user, and when the device serves as an alarm lamp, it cannot provide the illumination function to illuminate the tire for inflation or checking purposes. Secondly, the red alarm lamp housing has to be mounted to the device in order to provide the alarm function, which is inconvenient to the user and also affects the illumination function. In addition, the alarm lamp housing only provides one side illumination and the alarm effect is unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the conventional device is bulky and is inconvenient for carriage in addition to occupying a larger space.
Therefore, there has been a long and unfulfilled need for an improved portable electric pump and illuminating/alarm device which mitigates and/or obviates the above-mentioned problems.